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Topic: THREE FACET PRICKPUNCH (Read 2727 times)

its really annoying to watch a drill bit wobble on the prick mark / center punch mark just as your about to plunge it in the work, sometimes it wonders off and bores off mark and ruins your work, to solve this problem grind three facets on the punch on a 30 deg angle... i used this old punch and recycled it for this purpose......

I was taught (back in the Dark Ages) to first use a Prick Punch (with a 60° included angle at the tip) and then use a Drill Center Punch (with a 130° included angle at the tip). [Mind you we used 135° included angle drill bits exclusively.]

I remember hearing from a jeweller friend who was working with stainless steel at the time that a 3 sided centre punch like the one shown, was ideal for stainless steel as the sides produced by the punch gave the drill something to bite into as opposed to a round punch mark which could often lead to the drill spinning and work hardening the stainless, I've used this type of punch anytime i'm drilling stainless steel and rarely have any problems